Borrowed Heart

by Linda Lamberson

  Suddenly, I was so angry with myself. I already had opened Pandora’s Box by revealing myself to Quinn and falling in love with him, and we were able to get by relatively unscathed thus far. So what really would have been the harm in my saying ‘yes’ to Quinn’s request to meet his brother?

  “Quinn!” Tommy exclaimed. “If Ashley’s just all right, then your standards are way too high. I mean, if that hottie wasn’t good enough for you, then who the hell is? What’s next—a supermodel?”

  “An angel,” Quinn muttered under his breath, chuckling dryly. “You finished with this?” he asked his brother as he picked up Tommy’s half-empty glass of beer. Quinn didn’t even wait for his brother’s response.

  “Sláinte.” Quinn brought the drink up to his mouth. I couldn’t sit back and watch another second. Making sure no one was in the bathroom, I quickly materialized in one of the stalls and morphed into one of Quinn’s favorite outfits on me. One quick check in the mirror, and I walked out of the bathroom and over to their table around the corner.

  “Quinn!” I said cheerfully as he was just about to take another drink.

  The expression on Quinn’s face was indescribable. He just sat there, frozen, with the glass just about to touch his mouth, which was hanging open. His blue eyes were opened wide in disbelief. I smiled and winked at him as I walked over to the table.

  “It’s amazing how we just keep seeing each other.” I was still smiling.

  “Uh … yeah,” Quinn barely managed. He looked at me and then at the glass of beer, which he summarily set down on the table. “Um … Tommy, this is—”

  “Evie,” I said, finishing Quinn’s sentence. I didn’t know if, out of respect for protecting my anonymity, Quinn would have used my real name, but I didn’t want him to lie for me either. I extended my hand out to Tommy; he reciprocated with a handshake.

  “Evie,” Tommy said, “it’s very nice to meet you.” He flashed a rascally grin at his little brother, which Quinn ignored.

  “Do you have time to join us for a minute?” Quinn asked me hesitantly.

  “Sure—that is, as long as I’m not interrupting anything,” I responded.

  “No, not at all.” Quinn jumped to his feet and pulled out the chair next to him for me. I sat down as he pushed it in courteously. When he sat down next to me, he grabbed my hand under the table and gave it a little squeeze. I knew it was his way of thanking me for being there.

  “So,” Tommy began, “how do you two know each other?”

  I turned to Quinn to take the lead on this one.

  “Well,” he began, clearing his throat, “Evie and I met last semester at IU, but, unfortunately, we lost touch … that is, until we recently reconnected here in Chicago this summer.”

  “Oh, how fortunate,” Tommy responded, grinning at his brother like a gossipy schoolboy. I could almost see the wheels turning in Tommy’s head as he was putting two and two together about Ashley, about me, and about this past weekend at their parents’ house.

  “So, Evie, what brings you to Chicago?” Tommy asked.

  “I’m on assignment, actually,” I responded calmly.

  “Are you working as a journalist for the summer?” he asked.

  “Um,” Quinn jumped in, “actually Tommy, Evie is not at liberty to discuss her assignments.”

  “Oh … government job,” Tommy hastily concluded. “The benefits are good, but the pay sucks—just remember that.”

  “I will, thanks,” I said sincerely.

  “Evie,” Quinn asked, grinning, “what brings you to Marché this evening? Friends?”

  “Something like that,” I squeezed his thigh under the table and flashed him a playful smirk out of the corner of my mouth. Quinn was playing games; but I could play too. He picked up his glass of water and while he was mid-sip I couldn’t resist adding. “And I heard this place has great French onion soup.”

  Quinn coughed, spraying water out of his mouth everywhere. Tommy and I couldn’t help but laugh as he cleaned himself up. When the laughter subsided, Quinn explained that I had an aversion to onions, which he only discovered when he had made me dinner, well ordered it, one night at his place and French onion soup was on the menu. As Quinn told the story, he draped his arm around my chair and affectionately rubbed my arm with his fingers.

  Tommy glanced at Quinn, then at me, and back to Quinn again. He was watching us. Suddenly, he flashed a knowing smile to himself—like he’d noticed something different about his little brother when he was around me. It made me nervous; I didn’t want to stay on Tommy’s radar after this evening.

  “Tommy,” I said when Quinn’s story was over, “Quinn tells me that you and your wife are expecting your first child. Congratulations.”

  “Yes, we are. Thank you.” He didn’t seem all that surprised that I knew this, like it just further confirmed what he had suspected—that Quinn and I were a couple.

  “And … you’re having a girl?” I asked, volunteering that piece of information mainly for Quinn’s benefit. I wanted him to know I had been there the entire evening—that I had listened to Tommy and Quinn’s discussion about Brady.

  “That’s right. How did you know? We just found out ourselves,” Tommy said, amused and surprised.

  I wanted to say “lucky guess,” but I literally couldn’t get the words out of my mouth. It hadn’t been a guess; I had overheard the news. What Peter had told me was right—we really couldn’t lie. Crap.

  “I guess you could say Evie has a sixth sense about things,” Quinn offered, rescuing me.

  “Hey, that reminds me of a story about Quinn.” Tommy started chuckling.

  “Oh, please tell me you’re not really going to tell Evie that one,” Quinn begged. I looked at his face; it was getting redder by the second.

  “Oh, you know I am. Sorry, Quinny, but she has a right to know who she’s getting involved with.” Tommy turned towards me. “So, Evie, when Quinn was about five or six, he truly believed he had superpowers; his main one being ESP.” Tommy glanced at Quinn. “What was it that you called yourself?”

  “I was the Mystery Mind Invader,” Quinn admitted reluctantly.

  “That’s right, the Mystery Mind Invader,” Tommy chuckled. “Anyway, Quinn was always running around the neighborhood trying to read people’s minds—he even set up an ESP booth one weekend and offered to read people’s minds for the bargain price of ten cents.” Tommy chuckled again. “The sad thing, of course, was that he’d always get it wrong.”

  “Wait a minute,” Quinn piped in, “that’s not true. I mean, what about that one day when I read Mr. Green’s mind—remember? I knew he wanted a PB & J and chocolate milk for lunch.”

  Tommy started laughing uncontrollably.

  “What?” Quinn asked uneasily, like he knew he was about to be the butt of the joke.

  “Quinny, you only ever believed that people were thinking one of three things—they either wanted a puppy; they had to go to the bathroom; or they wanted a PB &J and a glass of chocolate milk. Doug, Brady, and I felt so bad for you we walked over to Mr. Green’s house and gave him ten cents to visit your booth and let you guess that’s what he wanted for lunch.”

  “You didn’t!” Quinn exclaimed, sounding truly astonished. Tommy was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down his face. I couldn’t help but crack up laughing too.

  “How could you?” Quinn continued. “My own brothers: traitors! And you dragged poor, unsuspecting Mr. Green into it. Shame on you.” Quinn could barely spit out the last few words before he burst out laughing too.

  Quinn and Tommy took turns sharing Harrison family stories with me until we were interrupted by the waitress dropping off the check.

  “Well,” I said, clearing my throat. “That’s my cue. It’s getting late, and I really should be going.” I stood up to leave. Tommy and Quinn followed suit, rising to their feet as well. “I’m sorry if I interrupted the rest of your evening, but it was really nice to meet you. I loved hearing stories about Quinn and the r
est of your family.”

  “No interruption at all, Evie. It was a pleasure meeting you too,” Tommy said. I turned to Quinn.

  “With the way things have been going, I’m sure I’ll see you soon.” I winked at him.

  “I can’t wait,” Quinn said, smiling at me as he hugged me.

  “Thank you,” he whispered in my ear. “This meant more to me than you’ll ever know.”

  I looked up at Quinn and squeezed his hand reassuringly once more before I let go.

  “Well, good night, then.”

  “Good night,” Quinn and Tommy said in unison.

  I smiled, turned around, and walked away. I phased out of sight the first chance I got and returned to the table just in time to see Quinn and his brother getting up to leave. I ghosted them to the front door of the restaurant, where Tommy refused to let Quinn find his own way back to his apartment.

  “Are you kidding me? You know I’ll never hear the end of it from Mom if I don’t make sure you get to your place safe and sound,” Tommy stated. Quinn had no choice but to accept a ride home from his big brother.

  “Thanks again for dinner, Tommy,” Quinn said, patting his brother on the shoulder when he pulled up to the front of Quinn’s building.

  “No problem. And, hey, when you see that pretty little lady of yours later on tonight, tell her again that it was great to meet her,” Tommy remarked as Quinn got out of the car and shut the door.

  “Tommy, I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about,” Quinn stated, grinning from ear to ear.

  “Go get her, tiger!” Tommy yelled from his window as Quinn entered the lobby.

  I watched Tommy for a moment longer as he pulled away. So he had figured it out … well, not all of it, but the gist of it. He knew Quinn was smitten. I’m sure he probably guessed I was too. I smiled to myself and then looked up at the windows of Quinn’s loft just as he turned on the lights.

  I teleported myself outside of Quinn’s apartment, phased into view, and knocked on the front door.

  “Hey, Mystery Mind Invader,” I called out to Quinn through the door, “I wonder if you can tell what I’m thinking right now.”

  A huge smile spread across my lips when I heard Quinn run across the room to unlock the door.

  28. The Winds of Change

  The night I met Tommy marked another turning point in Quinn’s and my relationship. After work, Quinn would come back to his apartment and we would stay up until the wee hours. One evening we went up to Quinn’s rooftop, and I explained the history behind many of the skyscrapers downtown. He was surprised at how much I knew about Chicago architecture—that was until I showed him one of the books on his bookshelf about the subject. Still, he couldn’t believe I actually had read the book cover to cover.

  Most nights we stayed in, perfectly content talking over candlelight, laughing at each other’s jokes, watching old movies, and listening to music. Sometimes, we would just cuddle up on the couch and enjoy the comfortable silence between us. Other times, I would prod Quinn to tell me more stories about his childhood and his family. And, of course, we always managed to find ways to push the envelope of our physical attraction for each other.

  Quinn never tried to kiss me again, much to my dismay and relief. Even though the love we felt for one another seemed to get stronger with each passing day, so did our desire for each other. It was to the point where I seriously questioned whether either one of us would be able to control ourselves if we crossed that line again.

  Brady hadn’t tried to contact Quinn again, which I suspected helped him unwind enough to enjoy the moment without the distraction of his brother. In fact, if he was worrying about Brady, I certainly couldn’t tell. Quinn seemed as relaxed as I had ever remembered seeing him.

  I wished I could say the same thing about me. My watch was still going haywire, and I hadn’t the slightest indication of when Quinn’s Second Incident would occur. I never left his side, even when he was sleeping, for fear of what might happen to him while I was gone.

  That Saturday night, Quinn and I decided to see a movie in the park. We strolled the entire way home from Grant Park. It felt like a real, official date, and I loved every minute of it.

  Quinn was about to unlock the front door to his loft when I heard a strange noise coming from inside. Someone was in his apartment. I immediately grabbed Quinn’s hand to prevent him from inserting the key into the lock.

  “Quinn,” I whispered, “are you expecting someone?”

  “No,” he replied softly. “Why?”

  “Because you have a visitor.”

  “What? Who?” Quinn whispered in alarm.

  “I don’t know. The only thing I can tell you for sure is that the intruder is a human.” I squeezed his hand so he would look at me, “I want you to wait at the bottom of the stairs while I go inside and check things out.”

  “No way,” he whispered sharply. “You’re crazy if you think I’m letting you go in there alone. You could get hurt.”

  “Quinn,” I whispered, “I’ll be fine.” I loved that he felt the need to be so overprotective of me, but now was not the time for heroics on his part. “It’s my job to worry about your safety, remember? I’m here to protect you—not the other way around. And right now, I need to find out what I’m up against in there without worrying about you. So, please, go downstairs and wait for me.”

  He was about to object again, but I didn’t give him the chance.

  “Quinn, I’m not asking you to do this.”

  He crossed his arms and firmly planted his feet on the landing in protest. We didn’t have time to debate this. I had to find out who the intruder was and what he wanted.

  “Fine,” I said reluctantly. “But can you at least stay here while I take an initial look around?”

  “Evie—”

  “Quinn,” I interjected, “we’re wasting valuable time standing out here arguing.”

  “Fine. I’ll stay here … for a minute.”

  “Ugh!” I sighed. “Why do you have to be so stubborn?”

  “Because it’s my job to worry about your safety.” He flashed me his incredible smile. Instantly, images of Quinn brushing his lips against mine popped into my head. I still couldn’t get over how vulnerable I was to his charms; it worried me. I quickly re-focused my complete attention on the intruder.

  With Quinn standing right there, phasing out of view and teleporting myself inside his apartment was not a desirable option, which left me with one other viable choice. Using Quinn’s key, I slowly and quietly unlocked the door. Maybe I would have time enough to close the door behind me and immediately dematerialize so as to maintain some element of surprise.

  As usual, luck was not on my side. I opened the door to see the intruder sitting on Quinn’s couch with his legs propped up on the coffee table. He had the remote in one hand, about to turn on the TV, while holding a container of leftover Thai food in the other. I was confused. What kind of intruder would make himself feel right at home in a stranger’s apartment?

  It wasn’t until I looked at the intruder’s face that I realized that he was not in a stranger’s apartment. His black hair and deep blue eyes gave him away immediately. I knew I was staring at Brady. The similarities in the two brothers’ appearances were freaky; in fact, they could easily have passed for twins. But I soon discovered that’s where their likeness ended.

  Brady was very different from Quinn on the inside. Quinn’s aura shone clearly and brightly, full of the energy that life had to offer those who were decent and honorable, whereas Brady’s aura was dark and overcast. At the young age of twenty-two, Brady’s soul was already tarnished. I could tell that his gambling addiction and the lifestyle that went along with it had caught up with him and were now suffocating the life from him—literally. Where Quinn’s eyes twinkled with exuberance and optimism, Brady’s were dull and lackluster, no doubt scarred from his entanglements with countless numbers of corrupt and wayward souls over the past couple of years.

  �
��Damn it, Brady. How the hell did you get in here?” Quinn demanded from over my shoulder. He pushed the front door open and marched past me.

  “Well, that wasn’t exactly the greeting I was hoping for. It’s nice to see you, too, little brother.” Brady didn’t even flinch. Instead, he took another bite of leftovers. “Relax, Quinny,” he mumbled with a mouthful of food. “I didn’t break in if that’s what you’re wondering. I simply told your super that I was your brother, and that I was visiting you from out of town and arrived a little earlier than expected. So he let me in.”

  “I’ll have to talk to him about that,” Quinn said coldly. Every muscle in Quinn’s body was tense. His heart was beating loudly. He looked like he was ready to pounce on his brother at any minute.

  Brady peered around Quinn and eyed me.

  “Quinny, aren’t you going to introduce me to your guest?”

  “She’s just a friend,” Quinn replied offhandedly, causing Brady to cast a dubious glance in my direction.

  “Yeah, well, um, friend,” Brady began, “I hate to be rude, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen my baby brother here, and as I’m sure you’ve guessed, we have a lot to talk about. So is there any way that we can have a little privacy?”

  I looked at Quinn for his cue as to whether or not I should leave … well, disappear at any rate. When our eyes locked, I knew he wanted me to stay.

  “What—you two tied at the hip or something?” Brady asked, snidely. “She makin’ the calls for you these days, Quinny?”

  “Hey,” Quinn snapped. “You interrupted our evening—not the other way around. So she isn’t going anywhere.” He took my hand in his. “Besides, it doesn’t really matter anyway—she already knows all about you.”